Works of Ossian, Volume 4

met, at the chace, as he returned from the battle \ of Rath - col. Sul-malla invites Offian and Oscar to a feast, at the residence of her father, who was - Upon hearing their

* then absent in the wars.

name and family, she relates an expedition of Fil. gal into Inis - huna. She casually mentioning Cath: mor, chief of Atha, (who then assisted her fither against his enemies) offian introduces the episode of Cułgorm and Suram-drönlo, two Scandinavian king', in whose wars Offian himself and Cathmor were The story is imperfeół, a part of the original being lost. —

*

engaged on opposite sides.

4. z

Offian, warned, in a dream, by the ghost of

f t Treumor, sets sail from Inis-huna. w - - of **

aiding Connor, king of Inis - huna, in his wars 2 at the time that Offian defeated Duth-carmor, in the valley of Rath-col. The poem is more interesting, that it contains so many particulars concerning those personages, who make so great a figure in Temora.

daughter of kings; the cloudy night is neit. \ It was the young branch of Lumon, Sul. i

\- to mark out a nation Inuch less advanced in ci

are remarkably barbarous and fierce, and seen

vil society , than the inhabitants of Britain were in the times of Offian.

*) sul-walls here discover, the quality of offan - and Oscar, from their stature and stately gait.

Among nations, not far advanced in civilization, a superior beauty and stateliness of person were inseparable from nobility of blood. It was from these qualities, that those of family were known by strangers, not from tawdry trappings of state injudiciously thrown round them. The cause of this distinguishing property, must, in some measure, be ascribed to their unmixed blood. They had no inducement to intermarry with the vulgar; and no low notions of interest made them deviate from their choice, in their own sphere. In states, where luxury has been long

eftab

Not unmarked, said the maid, by Sul. malla, is the shield of Morven's king. It hangs high, in Conmor's hall, in memory of the past; when Fingal came to Cluba, in the days of other years. Loud roared the boar of Culdar. nu, in the midst of his rocks and woods. Inis. huna sent her youths , but they failed; and

established , I an told , that beauty of person is, by no means, the chara&eristic of antiquity of family. This must be attributed to those enervating vices, which are inseparable from luxury and wealth. A great family, (to alter a little the words of the historian) it is true, like a river, becomes considerable from the length of its course: but, as it rolls on, hereditary dis